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Nativity Collector Dreams Of Mangers And Museums

Dixon has gathered her Nativity collection from many sources around the world. She says this set is made of banana fronds and was given to her by a friend who was a missionary in Nigeria.

Nativity displays are a Christmas staple in front of Christian churches and in people's yards. They depict the birth of Jesus long ago in the Middle East town of Bethlehem.

The sets also come in smaller sizes for mantels and coffee tables, and some people collect them. Margo Dixon says she has more than 1,450 different depictions of the Nativity. In 2010 she moved from Atlanta to Bethlehem, Pa., with a dream: to open a Nativity museum in the town that bills itself as the "Christmas City."

Dixon began collecting Nativity sets nearly five decades ago, but not for religious reasons.She says she's not a Christian.

"I'm Unitarian Universalist, but I don't declare myself to be a Christian," says Dixon.

In her basement there are rows of shelves holding plastic bins packed with Nativity sets.

"One is Waterford crystal, which I bought in Ireland," Dixon says. She also has a Hummel Nativity set and another that looks even more delicate. Dixon says it's from Nigeria and made of banana fronds.

Some collectors prefer only sets that use humans, but not Dixon. She likes all the different ways artists choose to depict Jesus' birth. That's why she has a Nativity comprising rubber ducks.

As for what fuels her hobby, Dixon says, "I love babies! Anybody who knows me knows I am just a sucker for babies. Any restaurant I walk through if there's a baby in it, I'm there!"

But press Dixon and bit more and you'll learn she has a birth story of her own. She found love later than most of her peers.

"When I met Fred and I was 40 years old I said, 'All I ever wanted in life was a baby,' and he said, 'I'll give you a baby,' " Dixon says. "That was very important to me that I was given a baby at a point in time when I thought I was beyond the pale, so to speak, in terms of babies," says Dixon.

Now her two children are grown. Dixon says her husband suffered a series of strokes a few years back and lives in a care facility. In retirement, she's pursuing her dream of creating that Nativity museum in Bethlehem, Pa.

"I'm 71 years old and it's not going to happen if I just think about it," she says. So Dixon is raising money, searching for a building and making big plans. She hopes to open the museum in time for Christmas three years from now.

And I'm Robert Siegel. This time of year, you'll find Nativity scenes outside churches and in front yards across the country. They depict the birth of Jesus long ago in the town of Bethlehem. The sets also come in smaller indoor sizes for mantels and coffee tables. Some people even collect them. We found one collector with more than 1,400 different depictions of the Nativity. NPR's Jeff Brady has this profile from Bethlehem, the one in Pennsylvania.

JEFF BRADY, BYLINE: About one hour north of Philadelphia, Bethlehem may prompt visions of steel mills. But each December, it's a regional center for all that is Christmas. Margo Dixon retired here from Atlanta a few years back. She started collecting Nativity sets nearly five decades ago, but not for religious reasons.

MARGO DIXON: As a matter of fact, I'm really not a Christian. I'm Unitarian Universalist, but I don't declare myself to be a Christian.

BRADY: Dixon's hundreds of Nativity sets are stored in her house, downstairs.

DIXON: We're in the process of upgrading the basement a little bit so baby Jesus will be a little bit more comfortable down here.

BRADY: There are rows of shelves in her basement and plastic bins packed with Nativity sets.

DIXON: One is Waterford Crystal, which I bought in Ireland.

BRADY: There's a Hummel Nativity set, another that looks even more delicate. It's from Nigeria and made of banana fronds. And then she points to a nearby shelf.

DIXON: This is my rubber ducky Nativity.

BRADY: Some collectors prefer only sets that use humans to depict the Nativity, but not Dixon. She likes all the different ways artists choose to depict Jesus' birth. She picks up another one. It looks like a craft project made of coiled paper.

DIXON: The Holy Family are - have sequins around them. That's how you know they're important. Unfortunately, this little angel has lost her halo. I don't know where - I think it was lost before I got it. This was probably purchased for a quarter at a yard sale.

BRADY: Dixon can spend hours talking about her collection. Ask what motivates her, and this is the first answer.

DIXON: I love babies. Anybody who knows me knows I am a - just a sucker for babies. Any restaurant I walk through, if there's a baby in, I'm there.

BRADY: Press Dixon a bit more and you'll learn that the human story associated with the Nativity also intrigues her. Imagine, she says, a pregnant young woman alone.

DIXON: And who knows who the father was? And yet, there was a guy named Joseph, who stepped up to the plate and said, well, I don't care. I'm going to take care of you no matter what.

BRADY: But keep pressing and you'll learn that Dixon has a birth story of her own. She found love later than most of her peers.

DIXON: You know when I met Fred and I was 40 years old, I said, all I ever wanted in life was a baby, and he said, I'll give you a baby. And so, you know, that was very important to me that I was given a baby at a point in time when I thought I was beyond the pale, so to speak, in terms of babies.

BRADY: Now, she has two grown children. Her husband suffered a series of strokes a few years back and lives in a care facility. In retirement, she's launching a new phase in her life: creating a Nativity museum in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

DIXON: I'm 71 years old, and it's not going to happen if I just think about it.

BRADY: She's raising money, searching for a building and making big plans. She hopes to open the museum in time for Christmas three years from now. Jeff Brady, NPR News. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright National Public Radio.